Comments Off on Plans for Facebook drugs party halted in Leeds after police step in

The house on Richmond Avenue where the “drugs party” was due to be held

By Mike Berriman

A planned party which invited guests to bring “a bag o’ chems” to a house in Headingley has been prevented after the organisers were issued with an anti-social behaviour order.

The event, which was expected to attract up to 350 people to the house on Richmond Avenue, had been advertised on Facebook.

But police officers from Leeds Anti-Social Behaviour Team intervened after being alerted.

Superintendent Sam Millar said: “The open references to the planned consumption of drugs was a real cause for concern.

“There were very genuine concerns that if this event had been allowed to go ahead it would have been a significant source of noise and anti-social behaviour causing serious disruption and disturbance throughout the night to people in the vicinity.

“We hope this will send a clear message to others who think they can arrange events like this without any consideration for the negative impact it would have on their neighbours’ quality of life.”

Leeds University biology student Will Grace, 19, who lives on Richmond Avenue, said: “I saw it on Facebook but I wasn’t planning on going.

“It was open invite so we were a bit concerned. We had planned on locking all of our doors.”

The message posted on Facebook read: “Yo Yo Brap Brap to all those groovers, shakers and snappy dressers, the hipsters, hippies and gangsters alike. To celebrate the death and resurrection of our lord saviour (hallow be thy name) we are having a big worship, through art of dance.”

But student Alex Blake, 20, also of Richmond Avenue said: “I think the police shutting it down is all a bit ridiculous.

“The organisers warned all the neighbours beforehand. They said they were going to have DJs and speakers and warned us about the noise.”

Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said he was relieved that the council and the police had intervened.

He said: “They had a bonfire in their back garden last week which annoyed me a bit.

“To be honest, I’m glad it has been stopped, it sounds like it would have been a nightmare for us and the rest of their neighbours.”